Nightlight, Bright Light
by Remnants of Fantasy
Summary: Those who smile most know the most pain. The quiet ones always have the most to say. The people who take the most advantage of freedom and love are the ones who know what it is like to be without. Nightlight is no exception. This is his story.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm aliiiiiiiiive! It has been months since I last posted something. I know everyone is waiting for my Sonic stories I promised, and I apologize, but I got a little sidetracked. I fell in love with the Guardians of Childhood series. Especially Nightlight. I have only read the picture books off YouTube, watched videos of people talking about the books, And wiki Fandom. So I have not read the actual chapter books. (Augh. My library carries nothing I tell you!) I started coming up with Nightlight's backstory before I heard the real one. But I decided to write it anyway. I'm sure you'll like it. Enjoy!**

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Nightlight Bright Light

Chapter 1

The three men waited silently. They did not speak or even move a muscle in fear of making a sound. They could not alert others of their presence. It would be the end of their mission and the fate of the Universe would be in the cruel hands of the Impius.

The Impius were a barbarous race of beings that traveled from different planets and conquered all that stood in their path. They were humanoid in shape, but were covered in green scales with webbing between their clawed hands and feet. Their eyes were an eerie yellow with black slits and their sharp teeth were as sharp as a viper's. They carried no mercy. Any unfortunate soul to get in their way were cut down with the sword like a farmer threshing wheat. They were hungry for power, and they would stop at nothing to gain it.

The people of the galaxy fought with all of their heart. They could not give up! They would not submit themselves to a life of torture and slavery. An ancient organization known as the Wizards emerged from a hidden place. Their name fit, for that, was exactly what they were. Between the help of the Wizards and the spirit of the people, the power of the Impius was kept at bay.

The Impius soon became aware that the only way to advance in their conquest was to tip the balance of power. They needed a weapon. And on the wall of an ancient ruin, they found one.

Nightlights were powerful beings. The most powerful to ever lived. But they were from so long ago that they became only a legend. Only seven had been created, and even with their immortality, they did not live forever.

A Nightlight was created by three things. The laughter of one thousand children, a part of one's self, and an entire star. They were the embodiment of light and were magically bound to their oath. Once they made an oath, it could only be broken by it being fulfilled or no longer possible to complete. Each Nightlight could take one magic oath.

The Wizards had snuck onto the Impius' spaceship. They were currently draining a star. If they were fast enough, the wizards would be able to put an end to the Impius' madness.

Three wizards waited for their signal while hidden out of sight. The oldest was dark-haired with eyes like an owl. He was almost always silent and was somewhere in his late forties. The one that stood in the middle was a woman with long jet black hair. Unlike the other elf, she was known for being a talker. She was lively and had a loud boisterous laugh. People who did not know presumed her to be lighthearted, but in truth, she was the most ruthless of the wizards. She had entertained a very small amount of mercy towards her enemies. The youngest was in his early thirties. The art of wizard magic takes years to learn and longer to perfect, but he had been rather successful for his age. He was a man of his word and always played by the book. He took his place among the Wizards very seriously.

The oldest elf felt a cold sensation tickle the back of his mind. The signal. "Eline, Merlin, it is time."

Elaine gave a small mock solute. "Yes, sir, Ezekiel! Time for us to join the tea party." Her smile became rather disarming.

Merlin gripped his staff tighter. They had one shot. No room for failure.

The three charged from their hiding spot and ran down the hall. They striker down any that barred their path with either magic or physical force. They could hear the blasting of other's magic, the clanks of weapons, and the screams of death not far off. The other Wizards were engaged in battle with the Impius.

It was a distraction. While chaos was going on, the chosen three would sneak into the room where the Nightlight was being created.

Ezekiel used his magic staff to open a sealed off door. The room was dark and cold. If you could even call it a room. The door just leads to a large empty space of nothingness. No walls. No floors. It was like walking in a glass box in a starless space. In the center was a large stone table.

Ezekiel turned to his colleagues. "Remember, we must strike the stone table precisely at the same time to destroy it. It is what is draining the star. If we fail, we will have to wait until tomorrow to attempt destroying it again. We do not have that time."

The other wizards nodded in acknowledgment. They lifted their staffs high above the table and began to chant.

_From stolen power, you were made,_

_And other's laughter took;_

_But by our hand, you shall fade,_

_And future sorrow forsook._

The three stabbed the bottom of their staffs into the stone table. Nothing happened.

Eline passed a glare to Ezekiel. If they failed because he missed something in the spell…. "Are you sure that- AUGH!" Her question was cut short as she was shot with a volt of magic. He body lay still on the floor.

Merlin ran and knelt beside her. "Eline!" he shouted. "What happened?!" The woman did not open her eyes.

A cruel laugh echoed nearby. The two remaining Wizards turned the source and saw a figure come into sight. Impius looked like how one envisioned a siren. Green scale skin and webbing between their toes and feet. Their eyes were yellow and slit like a snake's. It was typical for these creatures to be thin and lanky.

Not this one. He was large with muscles building from his arms. The fins attached to his arms and legs were rugged and torn. His cloak his one of his arms and his teeth were sharp like a viper.

"Fools, " said his raspy voice. He licked his lips. "Did you really believe it would be this simple? That we took no precautions? The Nightlight _will _be created and the Impius _will_ reign supreme. Make no mistake!"

Ezekiel charged the monster in blind anger. The Impius calmly sidestepped to the right. Merlin left the body of his fallen comrade to help his partner. The Impius only laughed as he either blocked or dodged the attacks.

"Is that all you got?" he taunted. His yellow eyes glistened. The wizards inwardly writhed as they struggled against their opponent. "You and your people are weak! Meant to be nothing more than the dirt beneath our feet."

The fight continued. The wizards only grew more tired as it went on. Finally, the barbarous warrior had enough of his sadistic game.

Merlin and Ezekiel yelled as they were thrown thirty feet. A red barrier blocked them from their opponent besides the stone table and the body of their alley.

The Impious crackled. "Now you shall witness the birth of my own people's Golden Age! We shall rise above all others and rule as was meant to be." He held his right hand out and conjured an odd looking staff. It was gray as a stone and was twisted in an odd way.

He pointed to a misty light that began to appear above the table. "First, the laughs of one thousand children." He stabbed the stone into the stone table. "Next, a part of one's self. In this case, my own king's magic. Now all that is left is the power of a star." He lifted both hands up like a cat about to catch a bird. His eyes glowed green as he chanted.

_Stolen laughter, _

_A sacrifice._

_Stars and capture,_

_You shall arise!_

The words were repeated again and again in a monotone voice. The wizards tried to pass the barrier but to no success. None of their counterspells were strong enough. They were forced to watch as the figure of a body started to form on the table. It was only an outline made by cold light, but it was solidifying by the second.

_"Stolen laughter, a sacrifice. Stars and capture, you shall arise! Stolen laughter, a sacrifice. Stars and capture, you shall arise! Stolen laugh-AUGH!" _The chanting was cut short in a loud gurgling scream. The Impius fell to his knees and clutched his chest. A gaping whole replaced where his heart should have been. The barrier fell.

"Evil ...never *cough* will win." Ezekiel ran to his friend on the floor. He cradled Eline in his arms and tried to cast a healing spell. She lifted a shaky hand and placed it over his mouth. "Shhhh…. *cough cough* Stop." Her voice was raspy and a metallic taste filled her mouth. "It's *wheeze* too late f-for that."

"No! It's not too late! I just-"

"No." She cut him off. "It's… too...late… Finish the mission. *hack hack hack* I w-want a-a-a grand c-ceremonial funeral-l. Alright? L-lots of fuss'n'grandeour."

Tears streamed down the older wizard's face. Elaine had been his closest friend. They had grown up together. Fought together. Trained together. She was the sister he could never even hope of having. "I will make sure you have the biggest funeral ever. They will speak of it hundreds of years to come. They will put your name down in history. A hero of the people."

The faintest of smiles graced her lips. "Good… You keep-p y-y-your w-word… Or I'll h-haunt y-you to your grave." She stopped as a series of deep coughs overcame her. Her eyes were nearly closed. "Thank you. For everything."

Ezekiel's chest burst with an emptiness he knew not possible as he felt Eline go limp. Her heart was no longer beating.

Merlin stood to the side unable to watch the scene. He was not nearly as close to Eline as Ezekiel, but it was still too painful to witness. Instead, he focussed his mind on the Nightlight.

Its creation had been incomplete, but it had been created nonetheless. It lay unconscious on the stone table. It looked similar to a human in shape, but instead of being made of flesh, it was almost as if the being was composed of light. It was clad in a robe of the same hue as its blue light. The shocking thing though, was the Nightlight in appearance looks no older than a twelve or fourteen-year-old boy. His hands were folded and resting on his chest. His face was nothing but innocent and serene as he lay there with his eyes closed. Strange that something that looked so harmless could hold so much evil power.

"We need to finish the mission, " stated Merlin. His voice contained no emotion.

Ezekiel simply nodded. He pulled himself off the floor hauling up his decided companion in his arms. "I will get the others off the ship. When you are finished here, warp to the surface of the nearest planet. The ship will explode in ten minutes."

Merlin nodded and watched as the other wizard left. As soon as he was gone from sight, the wizard clasped both of his hands on the staff that was wedged into the stone. He pulled it out with a grunt. He held the staff above the Nightlight ready to run it through him. That's all it would take. One stab in the chest from the weapon that was magically bound to the creature's soul. One strike and the mission would be complete. The other planets and worlds and planets would no longer in tremble fear of this weapon being turned against them. Lives would be saved. It was the right thing to do.

Then why was it so hard?

Merlin breathed rapidly as he tensed his muscles as he readied himself to complete the mission. He had to! There was no other option. The Nightlight was a creation of the Impius and a threat to the lives of others. Even if he _did_ look like a child… A child…. Merlin's chest hallowed as he once again looked at the Nightlight's, the boy's, face. He looked so much like another young one's face from long ago. So much like…

_No! Do not think like that! This creature is nothing like him! _Yet Merlin could not shake the feeling. He sighed. _I cannot believe I am doing this. If the Impius find out, worlds are lost. If Ezekiel finds out, I'm lost._

But Merlin made his decision. He rested a hand on the boy's head and transported them off the ship. He would protect this Nightlight. He would teach this child. He would be the one to care for this boy.

Merlin had a tower in a rather secluded place. A whole two hours walk from the village. He never had visitors. It would be safe. The Nightlight could never replace what he once lost, but he owed it to _him. _He could not change the past, but he would make right the future.

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Notes: _Usually Nightlights are adults, but since the creation process was incomplete, the Impious ended up with a child_.

_Nightlights are hard to kill, but each one has a soul bond with an item. In the new Nightlight's case, that would be the staff that was used to hold the power that the Impious used to create him._

_If enough wizards help, they are able to combine their magic to go off like a bomb. That was what Ezekiel was speaking of._

_After hiding Nightlight, Merlin scarcely males any more contact with his fellow wizards. Including Ezekiel._

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**So how do you like it? Please leave a review. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Tell me what you like and don't like. My whole point of putting my stories up on fanfiction is to learn how to improve. (That and making people happy.)**

**My chapters will be updated randomly. At least until I get a writing rhythm. I have a summary written out for the overview of my whole story. So I know what I'm doing with this. Can't wait to post more!**

**I have a bunch of art I made for this story. Here's the link. ** remnantsoffantasy/gallery/69460275/Nightlight-Bright-Light

**Happy 4th of July! And God bless America!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, I present you chapter two! Please enjoy!**

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Chapter 2

_Thump. Thump. Thump_

Merlin groaned and turned over in his sleep.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

"What…..?" Reluctantly, the wizard sat up in bed and rubbed his temple. Hardly any light showed through the window for it was hardly even morning. What was _he _doing this early in the morning? "Nightlight, what are you doing?"

The thumping continued in the next room over. "Uh ...nothing?" was his reply.

Merlin sighed at that answer. _Nothing _could be such a beautiful word. _Nothing _could mean emptiness or absence of something. _Nothing_ could mean silence ore rest. But when _Nightlight _said _nothing,_ it really meant he was doing _something. _That something, that without a doubt, would drive the wizard up the wall.

_Well, he is not in the kitchen. So at least I don't need to worry about the tower catching on fire. _That had happened before. Luckily, it was put out before too much damage was done.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

_Yeah, I better go see what he's up to. _The wizard pushed away the bedclothes and tightened the waste of his robe. He was not a morning person. Or at the very least, not a five-fifteen, being dragged into disaster type of person. With a sense of foreboding, he opened the door.

What he saw was unsurprising, but he sighed nevertheless. "Nightlight, why are you bouncing off the walls and ceiling?" There was no exaggeration in his question. The boy was literally bouncing off the walls and ceiling of his room like a rubber ball.

The boy yelped as he heard the unexpected repriming voice and fell to the ground. Merlin, from the very beginning, had decided that Nightlight must never learn any magic. It was simply too dangerous with the circumstance and his potential. However, the child already contained a few magic powers within his small body. His skin glowed like a blue firefly, he never slept, and he could float. It would be impossible to suppress these magic qualities. Neither did Merlin want to. He was strict, not cruel.

Nightlight rubbed his head where he had bumped it. He gave a sheepish grin. "Hi, Merlin."

The wizard crossed his arms over his chest. "I am unamused. What in a thousand worlds are you doing so early in the morning?!"

The boy shrank into himself do to embarrassment. "I was trying to catch Squeakers."

"Come again?" The wizard raised an eyebrow.

"Squeakers. A bug flew into my room this morning and I was trying to catch it. I named him Squeakers."

"Of course you did." Did the boy seriously have to name every single thing in existence? He had named the world carving on the end of the banister for goodness sakes! _It is too early for this…._ "Nightlight, I'm going to go start breakfast. Quit knocking about and behave yourself for five minutes."

"Yes, sir!" he answered back with a grin. He was clearly unfazed by the scolding and the wizard knew it. It took a lot to dampen his innocent, joyful nature.

Merlin fed a few pieces of wood to the fire setting a pot of oats and water to cook. He was definitely not a wealthy wizard, especially after leaving his old life behind to take care of Nightlight, but they were never in want. The provision of the forest and the small sum that he gained from selling some of his potions were enough to live comfortably. Merlin turned to the table and gasped as his face became but three inches away from a giant horned beetle.

Nightlight beamed at his master as he held the bug out for him to see. "Look, I caught him!"

The wizard pushed away the offensive insect away with the wooden spoon in his possession. "Of course you did…."

"Can I keep him?"

"What? No!" he answered quickly. "I am not having that thing crawling and flying about the tower. Especially my workshop!" Nightlight's face fell. His sad eyes looked down at his new friend in disappointment. "I'm sorry Squeakers, you have to leave." He turned around with drooping shoulders and begin to retreat back to his bedroom window. He wanted to release the beetle where he found it. That way he would not get lost and could find his way to his family.

Merlin felt hat odd feeling in his chest that he got whenever Nightlight was sad or disappointed. It was _not_ guilt! He refused to believe it was guilt. The boy did _not _make his heart melt like butter. His election with the boy was of a master and apprentice. Not parent and child. The emotion he felt was ... annoyance? Yes, annoyance. An annoyance that often made him relent but….

The wizard sighed for what felt like the millionth time in the last three years. "You keep it for one day. Alright? It has to be gone by night."

The boy's face glowed both figuratively and literally. "Really? Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" He did a backflip and headed back to his room in excitement.

"And keep it in a box or something!" Called out Merlin. The wizard only received a giggle in response. He was growing much too soft.

After the pirate had been cooked and dished out, and the reinforcement of the rule no bugs at the table had been informed, the wizard and Nightlight both sat down to eat. Nightlight talked the entire time. Nightlight _always _talked. In fact, Merlin was for certain that the boy never stopped talking.

Merlin was not a sociable person by any degree. He had once lived in a city on the other side of his planet but had moved his home here for the sole purpose of isolation. The villagers were familiar with simple magic, but none were able to perform it. Excitement had broken out among them when Merlin moved nearby. After a few years though, they began to realize that nothing exciting was going to happen. Besides the new healing potions that the town now had, Merlin made no more difference than an occasional appearance in the market or gossip. He was cold and distant, having made it clear he did not want to socialize. Eventually, the villagers shrugged it off and let him be.

So in short, Merlin could get slightly overwhelmed having to be in another's presence daily. Nightlight has only been with him for five months when he had decided to teach him to read. That would keep him quiet for a while, right? Nay. The magical boy reads out loud while acting his book out. Why?!

"And he landed upside down on the ceiling so I followed him. I tried to be sneaky to catch him but he felt running away anyway! He would fly from the ceiling to the floor to my bed to the dresser to the ceiling and back to the floor and just fly over the place! I closed the shutters to my window because I was afraid he would run away. I didn't want Squeakers to fly away. I like him. He was all black and shiny and I want to draw a picture of him. Do you think he has a family? I think he has a family. I bet he's the daddy. I wonder what Squeakers eats. Do you think he eats courage? I'll try to give him some later. Why I bet…"

Merlin sipped his tea. He only half-listened to the chatter. It was too early to even try and keep up with the current of information being tossed at him. Not that he could usually keep up during any part of the day.

"Do you think he would stay still if I tried to paint him? I think it'd be fun to give him spots. Ooooo! I'll paint him to look like a ladybug! But what if the paint doesn't come off? His family might not recognize him and Squeakers would be alone forever! That would be terrible! I don't want that to happen. Hey, I wonder if he likes to swim. I can give him a bubble bath if he does. May I use one of the cups to give him a bath?"

"No." At least he was paying enough attention to answer _that_ question. Dishes were not there for bugs to crawl around in.

"Oh, " he said a bit disappointed but perked back up almost immediately. "I'll just find something else. It's usually harder to get them out of the cups anyway ..."

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Merlin placed a cloth over the bread and cheese in the basket. "Nightlight, go retrieve my book of herbs off the shelf in my room."

"Yes, sir!" He skipped up the stairs and came back with a book tucked under his arm. He handed the book of leather-bound book to his master. Merlin had made it himself. The yellow pages were filled with realistic sketches and detailed notes on the different plants he used to create his magic potions. It contained only simple magic, but Nightlight was still not allowed to flip through it at will. Instead, Merlin had provided the child a book about healing teas and simple medicine. They were not as effective as his own creations, but were still useful nevertheless.

The boy hovered over his shoulder. "Are you going to town?"

"Nightlight, " started Merlin. "Would I be packing my herb and plant manual if I were going to be buying meat from the market?"

The boy tilted his head to the side as he thought the question through. "No?" His skin glowed brighter as something dawned on him. "You're going to the forest!"

"Yes." The wizard grabbed a key hanging on a hook in the wall. He then opened the door that lead to a flight of stairs. "Stay here, don't get into trouble, and stay hidden."

"Yes, sir. Come back soon…" Merlin closed the door and tried to brush out the image of the boy's sullen face. He always appeared so uncertain whenever he left. As if he were not for sure whether or not Merlin would come back.

The stairway was dark and musty from the lack of light and fresh air. The cold stone made an echoing tap as it met the sole of his sandal. The end held a double, large oak door. Merlin locked it and hung the key around his neck, hiding it under his robe. With only a little hesitation, he headed to the woods. He would be back before nightfall.

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The orange sky slowly darkened, changing in color every time he blinked. The crickets softly chirped as the life outdoors started to settle down for the night. Merlin had made it back before dark, but only barely. It had taken much longer than he anticipated to gather all that he needed. The flower that he used to create his pain-numbing potion was not growing in its typical spot. It had taken a considerable amount of time to hint it down.

He unlocked the door and it swung on its creepy hinges. He was tired and the thought of a warm meal waiting was pleasant. He had been very hesitant at first with both teaching Nightlight how to cook and actually allowing him to do so while he was away. (Luckily, he had been there for the fire incident.) But he had finally given in. The boy needed something to keep himself occupied. Preparing meals was a good way to fulfill that. That child definitely enjoyed it as well.

Merlin opened the door to the tower living space. His breath stopped. Instead of the scent of warm food, a bright fire in the fireplace, and a glowing boy chattering away a storm, there was nothing. It was dark. The lamps and fire were unlit and the kitchen was completely absent of any preparation of food. It was hauntingly quiet. Not trace of the child was visible.

"Nightlight?!" He called worriedly. "Nightlight, where see you?!" No answer. _Okay, calm down. Think straight. No one stole him. That would be unlikely. He may have just wandered off. If that _is_ the case, when I find him he'll be-" _The wizard paused his internal rant as he heard about sobbing. It came from the bedroom upstairs. _Oh. He's in his room. _

Worry was washed away with relief and then replaced with concern. Was the boy crying? He walked up the creaky wooden stairs and slowly opened Nightlight's bedroom door.

The sight inside was somber. Nightlight was on his knees, weeping as he was hunched over himself. His hands were tightly cupped over something that he was holding close to his chest. Merlin had never seen the boy so heart-stricken.

He quietly sat down next to the boy and hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Nightlight, " he said quietly, almost in a whisper. "Nightlight, what's wrong?"

"I-it-it, I thought… I didn't know…. It's m-my fault!" He sobbed harder.

Merlin's brow furrowed together. "What's your fault?"

The boy looked up and met the wizard's eyes. His face was soaked in wet tears and his eyes were red and puffy. "Squeakers. I c-came up in-n my room and l-looked in the b-box and he was d-d-dead!" Nightlight cried harder, but lifted and opened his hands so his master could see what was inside. The black beetle lay still and unmoving. "I-I sh-sh-ouln't-t of k-kept him here." He sobbed. "Now he'll never s-see his family again!"

Without realizing he was doing so, Merlin drew the boy into an embrace. "It's not your fault Nightlight. Insects just don't live long. It was going to die whether or not it was inside or outside."

"B-but now his f-family won't ever s-see him again! They w-wont know what happened t-to him."

"Nightlight, " began Merlin. "Insects are not like people. They don't have families. That beetle you found was all by itself."

The boy wiped the back of his hand across his nose and sniffed. "Really?"

The wizard nodded his head. "Yes. So if you think about it, you made it possible for the insect to spend the last day of its life not alone. You were a good friend." Merlin silently wondered how it was Nightlight always brought out the more sentimental side of him.

"Really?"

"Really." The wizard and the boy sat on the floor in companionable silence. If someone would have asked, Merlin would have completely denied any existence of a parental feeling for the glowing child. However, if anyone were to see them now, they would have been easily fooled; and something, in the back of Merlin's heart, caused him to wonder if he was fooled as well.

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**How did you like it? Cupcake and Marshmallow (the nicknames I gave to the two people I read my works to in the real world before posting.) were really mad that I killed Squeakers. The look on their faces that they gave me…. **

**The first two chapters have been in Merlin's perspective, but from now on, most of the story should be through Nightlight's eyes.**

**I'm adding a couple pictures for the story on my deviant art site. The link to it is in chapter one.**

**Please leave a review. Tell me what you like in my writing and what I can improve in. **


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